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Post by bucketfoot on Jul 14, 2009 23:45:11 GMT
BTW - about 15 year ago they found an Asian elephant sub-species population in the preserve in Nepal, lorded over by 'Rajah Gaj' - a giant bull that resembled a mammoth (which is what initially drove the researchers to find it deep in the reserve) and was the size of the biggest African bull elephant. Now it seems, he might have died of old age about 2 years ago (see story below): Note the shape of the head - remember, this is an ASIAN elephant, NOT African:   It was thought that he had died about 5 years ago when he could no longer be found, but a recent report raises hope that he has just returned from across the border in India to Nepal: www.ses-explore.org/news_detail.php?article=95 |
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Post by Radman on Jul 14, 2009 23:51:12 GMT
Gotta admit, that's pretty interesting.
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Post by Pangolinmoth on Jul 14, 2009 23:52:19 GMT
BTW - about 15 year ago they found an Asian elephant sub-species population in the preserve in Nepal, lorded over by 'Rajah Gaj' - a giant bull that resembled a mammoth (which is what initially drove the researchers to find it deep in the reserve) and was the size of the biggest African bull elephant. Now it seems, he might have died of old age about 2 years ago (see story below): Note the shape of the head - remember, this is an ASIAN elephant, NOT African: It was thought that he had died about 5 years ago when he could no longer be found, but a recent report raises hope that he has just returned from across the border in India to Nepal: www.ses-explore.org/news_detail.php?article=95What a majestic creature! I sure do love me some elephants. |
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Post by bucketfoot on Jul 15, 2009 0:00:20 GMT
Raja Gaj - and its kin in the Royal Bardia Preserve in Nepal - is the closest you'll ever come to seeing a mammoth - closely related to the Indian elephant. It is thought that these elephants having a small genetic pool, this exaggerated head feature has re-appeared - and is thought to have been shared by the Wooly Mammoth, its cousin.
There is a 1994 film that was shown on Discovery called "Mammoth Hunt" - which first described these elephants. Sadly, DNA taken from elephant dung samples showed that these were not Mammoths, but a sub-species of Indian elephant.
A HUGE, very AGGRESSIVE sub-species, I might add. Unlike their Asian elephant cousins, this sub-species never stops growing during adulthood - hence their African - elephant comparable size...
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Post by bucketfoot on Jul 15, 2009 1:26:45 GMT
Back on topic - close comparison has revaled that the 'twin peaks' on my mammoth are a tad too wide compared to the ones in the movie (though not to Raja Gaj's - see pic above!!) Interestingly, a restoration of a Columbian mammoth in profile eerily resembles Raja Gaj:  Therefore, I may be making a few cosmetic adjustments on the 'dome'. Stay tuned. |
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Post by Pangolinmoth on Jul 15, 2009 1:58:51 GMT
Back on topic - close comparison has revaled that the 'twin peaks' on my mammoth are a tad too wide compared to the ones in the movie (though not to Raja Gaj's - see pic above!!) Interestingly, a restoration of a Columbian mammoth in profile eerily resembles Raja Gaj: Therefore, I may be making a few cosmetic adjustments on the 'dome'. Stay tuned. That looks like a photoshopped Indian elephant. Is it? |
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Post by bucketfoot on Jul 15, 2009 5:12:43 GMT
Fairly obviously, yes. Actually, using a shot of the massive Raja Gaj would result in a much better photo shop of a Columbian Mammoth.
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Post by Pangolinmoth on Jul 15, 2009 7:27:33 GMT
Thought so, it's hard to tell on this tiny iPod screen. That's cool, people should do more restorations like that.
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Post by Tyrannax on Jul 15, 2009 7:48:30 GMT
Very interested. The Colombian Mammoth was 13 feet tall? Incredible!  I also love me so elephant. ;D |
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Post by bucketfoot on Jul 15, 2009 8:02:58 GMT
Yup. 13 feet at THE SHOULDER.
By contrast, Raja Gaj (possibly the world's largest elephant if still living) is about 11.4 feet tall at the shoulder, and estimated to weigh 8-9 tons. A Bull Columbian/Imperial/Steppe Mammoth (all closely related species) would have been about 15 tons. The largest elephants that ever lived.
Deinotheirum was possibly even bigger, but not a true elephant.
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Post by sbell on Jul 15, 2009 11:24:58 GMT
Yup. 13 feet at THE SHOULDER. By contrast, Raja Gaj (possibly the world's largest elephant if still living) is about 11.4 feet tall at the shoulder, and estimated to weigh 8-9 tons. A Bull Columbian/Imperial/Steppe Mammoth (all closely related species) would have been about 15 tons. The largest elephants that ever lived. Deinotheirum was possibly even bigger, but not a true elephant. If I'm not mistaken, Deinotherium is considered the third largest land mammal ever, after Paracerathrium and Mammuthus sungari. The latter is the largest true elephant, assuming it is valid (there are very few reliable, non-Wiki references to be found). |
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Post by bucketfoot on Jul 15, 2009 15:42:53 GMT
Yup. 13 feet at THE SHOULDER. By contrast, Raja Gaj (possibly the world's largest elephant if still living) is about 11.4 feet tall at the shoulder, and estimated to weigh 8-9 tons. A Bull Columbian/Imperial/Steppe Mammoth (all closely related species) would have been about 15 tons. The largest elephants that ever lived. Deinotheirum was possibly even bigger, but not a true elephant. If I'm not mistaken, Deinotherium is considered the third largest land mammal ever, after Paracerathrium and Mammuthus sungari. The latter is the largest true elephant, assuming it is valid (there are very few reliable, non-Wiki references to be found). I did a Wiki search myself after making that last post. Never heard of Mammoth Sungari before, but at 17' tall at the shoulder its the winner! |
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Post by sbell on Jul 15, 2009 16:00:48 GMT
If I'm not mistaken, Deinotherium is considered the third largest land mammal ever, after Paracerathrium and Mammuthus sungari. The latter is the largest true elephant, assuming it is valid (there are very few reliable, non-Wiki references to be found). I did a Wiki search myself after making that last post. Never heard of Mammoth Sungari before, but at 17' tall at the shoulder its the winner! It's still odd, in that despite it being described several decades ago, it still doesn't show up in many lists of valid species. |
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